ENTOMOLOGIA HELLENICA S (1987): 7-12 The Occurrence of Encarsia perniciosi in Areas of Northern Greece as Assessed by Sex Pheromone Traps of its Host Quadraspidiotus perniciosus' D.S. KYPARISSOUDAS Plant Protection Service of Thessaloniki, GR-54626 Thessaloniki, Greece ABSTRACT During the 1982-1985 period the aphelinid endoparasite Encarsia perniciosi Tower was cap­ tured on synthetic pheromone traps of the San Jose scale (SJS), Quadraspidiotus pernicio­ sus Comstock, in scale-infested insecticide treated and untreated orchards of Central and Western Macedonia (Northern Greece). It has expanded especially near the sites where it had been released, but also in areas 50-100 km from the point of release. The parasite in untreated orchards generally appeared from April to October, while in orchards treated with insecticides it was not caught after mid June. Spring flights of the parasite occurred on almost the same dates as the first captures of the male scale. Subsequent flights of E. perni­ ciosi were not always synchronized with those of the male scale, and after the beginning of June the parasite showed a general decline throughout the remainder of each season. The pheromone of the scale insect acts as a kairomone to the parasite and it can be used in trapping systems in scale-infested orchards for the confirmation of the presence and the dis­ tribution of E. perniciosi. Introduction riou 1985). In 1982, in a study on the flight of the SJS males by means of synthetic sex pheromone Encarsia perniciosiTower (Hymenoptera: Aphe- traps (Zoëcon's type «tent») we observed that be­ linidae) is a monophagus, solitary endoparasite of sides SJS males, its parasite E. perniciosiwas cau­ the San Jose scale (SJS) Quadraspidiotus pernicio­ ght as well. Similar observations on sticky traps wi­ sus Comstock (Homoptera: Diaspididae). It was th natural and synthetic sex pheromones in 1974 first introduced into Greece from France in 1968 and 1979, correspondingly, have been reported by (Argyriou 1981). In the same year the SJS was first Rice and Jones (1982). They also found that the recorded in the area of Stavros, Imathia, Greece parasite is using the SJS sex pheromone as a kairo­ (Paloukis 1969). Releases of the parasite for the mone and that relatively small amounts of phero­ control of the scale were made from 1968 to 1981 in mone isomers may be important in the host-fin­ orchards of the districts of Imathia (Argyriou ding behavior of E. perniciosi. It is possible there­ 1981, Katsoyannos and Argyriou 1985) and Pella fore, that the SJS sex pheromone can be used for (Argyriou, pers. comm.). Its establishment has the detection of the parasite in areas where the sca­ been confirmed from the year of its introduction le is present. up to 1981 around the sites of release and some­ times as far as 20 km away from them, however, The present work aimed at studying the seaso­ the rate of parasitism of the scale has been kept nal occurrence and the distribution of E. perniciosi low 2-9% (Argyriou 1981, Katsoyannos and Argy- in orchards of Central and Western Macedonia, Greece, by utilizing SJS sex pheromone traps. Materials and Methods 'Received for publication May 2, 1987. During the period 1982-1985 traps were placed in 24 8 ENTOMOLOGIA HELLENICA Vol. 5, No. 1 (June 1987) apple, pear, peach and cherry orchards, each 0.3-0.4 ry. In every sample, the existence of the parasite as ha. infested by the SJS. Some of the orchards were well as the percentage of parasitism were recorded. treated with insecticides (Table 1). In certain orchards (Table I. marked with an asterisk) the seasonal Qight of the SJS males as well as that of the parasite were Results and Discussion studied. In the remainder, traps were checked for the confirmation of the existence of the parasite. In each The parasite E. perniciosi was caught in 16 of the experimental orchard, one, two or three «tent» traps 24 orchards examined. It was captured in all 6 or­ (Zoëcon Corp.. Palo Alto. CA 94304) were hung 1.5- chards where insecticides were not used and in on­ 2.0 m high in the north-east side of host trees. Traps ly lOofthe 18 where insecticides were applied (Ta­ in all areas were normally placed in early April. Observations were taken daily until the first appea­ ble 1 ). Fig. 1 shows the distribution of E. perniciosi rance of the parasite and then, where the insect seaso­ in the areas where traps were set, and the areas nal flight was studied, traps were checked weekly where the parasite was released. It is seen that the until the end of October - early November. Each trap parasite has expanded especially in the areas it was contained a pheromone dispenser, charged with 300 released, but also in areas at considerable distance mg 7-methyl-3-methylene-7-octen-l-yl propanoate from the release sites, namely at Velvendos and (SJS-2, Zoëcon's) that was changed every four Tihio 50 and 100 km from the site of release. These weeks. During the observations, traps were transfer­ areas are isolated from the points of release and red to the laboratory where captured parasites and hence one possible explanation is that the parasite males SJS were counted under a dissecting microsco­ pe. was carried on infested tree stocks with the scale. There exist, however, areas in which the parasite In 1982, sample twigs infested by scale were taken was not caught in traps (Langadas, Goumenissa, from two orchards (Table 2), in which the parasite Aridea, Amissa, Perasma, Argos Orestico). was previously caught on pheromone traps, to test the existence of E. perniciosi. Samplings were made in The seasonal flight of both species was studied June. Five to seven twigs older than one year, 30-75 in two treated and three untreated orchards (Figs. cm long, were taken from different peach and apple 2,3). The first captures of £.pem;c/os/on the phe­ trees (Morgan and Angle 1969). A total of 1,000 in­ romone traps occurred on almost the same dates as dividuals of the scale were examined in the laborato­ the first captures of male scales. The initial flights TABLE 1. Presence of Encarsia perniciosi during 1982-1985 in orchards of Central and Western Macedonia infested by Quadra­ spidiotus perniciosus treated (t) or untreated (unt) with insecticides. Observation Chemical Presence of Year area Orchard treatment E. perniciosi 1982 Krya-Vryssi* Peach t + Angclohori* Apple- unt + 1983 Krya-Vryssi Apple t + Naussa Peach t 1 Melissi* Peach t + Skvdra Apple t - Rodohori Apple t 4 Langadas Apple t - Perasma Apple I - 1984 Macrohori Apple 1 < Langadas Peach t - Aridea Apple t - Gumenissa Peach t - Polykarpi Apple Ulli • Kolindros Peach t — 1985 Krva-Vryssi* Apple unt + Skydra Cherry unt + Alexandria Pear t t Rahi Apple unt + Velvendos Peach t + Tihio" Apple mil 1 Argos Orestiko Apple t - Amissa Apple t - Palaephyto Apple 1 I •Regular observation of traps for determination of scale and parasite flights. KYPARISSOUDAS: ENCARSIA PERNICIOSI IN CENTRAL AND WESTERN MACEDONIA 9 KILKIS »Arie #Gumenissa PELLA \ f-Arnissa,- Palaèrfh>t3A J FLORINA \ Skydra -· MeAissi Λ/. Per'asma '^ "^ ^!r'iaN-Vrys i • Langadas Rodo i S THESSALONIKI • V y—J . A jAngelohoi·* 1.x" ( «Naüjsa ς"-S-Aj ' USTORIA t1^ "4° \TMATHlA*tMaerol «Wlykarpi N^jRahi^· 'Ac Argos.^restiko V f HALKIDIKI / KOZANI y / Ρ : ER I A "Welvendos j *i GREVENA \ \_ Q. perniciosus s E perniciosi Stations of parasite releases during the years 1968-1981 • San Joe* »cal· FIG. 1. Areas where Encarsia perniciosi adults and Quadra­ Α oi-·· spidiotus perniciosus males were captured on pheromone traps in Northern Greece during the years 1982-1985. Λ of parasite and male scales usually occurred in ear­ A lì. ^*~»*--|^. ly season regions in mid to late April, while in late ft 4 ... ή-rt-V- • Τ • Jri '^ ,ντ Τ ' ΙΓ* ι ' 7^ season regions (Fig. 2C) early in May. In both re­ gions the flight of parasite and host continued to late May. A second flight of the parasite was recor­ a San Joe* acal ded only in untreated orchards (Fig. 2). The one ΟΙ »carsi. exception in the parasite captures is that seen in Melissi (Fig. 3B), where the orchard was treated with insecticides. The first captures of parasite and male scales in this flight in the area of Tihio (Fig. 2C) occurred on the same dates. In the area of Krya Vryssi (Fig. 2B) the parasite appeared only one week prior to the host scale, while in the area Angelohori (Fig. 2A) the parasite appeared one week after the onset. The flight of the parasite con­ tinued until the beginning of October, but only in unsprayed orchards, while the appearance of the male scale continued, in treated and untreated or­ chards. until the end of October. The number of SJS males during the whole trap­ ping period, as indicated by pheromone trap cap­ tures. was always higher than that of the parasite, except in the case of Melissi (Fig. 3B), where the FIG. 2. Seasonal captures of SJS males and Encarsia pernicio- s/on pheromone traps in untreated apple orchards. A: Ange- parasite was captured in higher numbers than lohori 1982. B: Krya Vryssi 1985. C: Tihio 1985. those of the host. After the first flight, in each IO ENTOMOLOGIA HELLENICA Voi. 5. No. 1 (June 1987) year, the population of the scale occurred at a low a San Jose ecale level during the summer, except in the case of Me­ Oficereia pernici lissi (Fig. 3B), where the populations were high. but increased greatly as the season progressed. Conversely, in all cases, in untreated orchards, there was every year a decline of the numbers of the parasite after the beginning of June (second fli­ ght of the SJS).